BROADALBIN-PERTH, NY – Last year the Broadalbin-Perth Boys Varsity Soccer Team went undefeated winning their schools first state title.

However, the celebration did not last long, a few months later they received news that the school district was eliminating all their Junior Varsity sports due to budget cuts.

Coach Brian Henry says, “We were really riding high and then to get that news was just devastating it was a real kick in the butt.”

Henry says, “You can't have a successful varsity squad and win a state title without a JV feeder system.”

But according to the coach, a team of champions and a dedicated community doesn't give up without a fight.

“We tried to put a positive spin on it and said it's not dead in the water, we need to raise some funds, we've done it before, we can do it again, you guys have worked hard on the field now you have to work off the field,” says Henry.

The community needs to raise a total of $43,000, right now they are about half way there, just inches away from achieving their first goal, which is saving all the fall JV sports programs.

“Alum who have graduated 20, 30, 40 years ago have stepped up they heard about our plight and have been donating money,” says Charla Simonson.

Simonson worked for the school district and has a daughter entering ninth grade and they have been working hard to help raise those funds.

“As a mother it would break my heart to see her not have the opportunity to play school sports, and play for Broadalbine-Perth because that's where she spends her time with her friends,” said Simonson.

Daughter Zoe, says she does not know what she would do without sports.

“I can't even imagine that because that's my entire life basically, it's sports and school, so it would be a lot different, I would be really bored,” says Zoe.

The school district is about $1,000 from reaching their fall goal of $21,200. They are holding a fundraising car wash Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the fire station in Broadalbin.